Selectors have just two days to mull over the direction of Australia's batting order after the calamitous 2-1 home Test series loss to India. A squad for the two Tests against Sri Lanka is set to be announced on Wednesday, with the matches being Australia's last red-ball cricket before this winter's Ashes tour. Australia's batting fell to disappointing lows at home against India, averaging just 25 per wicket and becoming the first team to not have a batsman reach 80 in a series of four Tests or more since 1966. And the question is, if the batsmen can't handle India's quicks on the docile pitches served up in Melbourne and Sydney, how will they handle the swinging Dukes in England? "We'll have conversations in the next day or two, I'm sure," Australia's captain Tim Paine said. "I have faith that the guys we have around the team are the right guys - just have to keep putting some faith and trust in them. "They are learning on the job a bit, but I think we'll get there." The make-up of Australia's batsmen for the Sri Lankan series and Ashes is still very much open for debate. Steve Smith and David Warner still can't come back until the winter, while Marcus Harris is the only player to have truly taken his chance against India to push his claims. Travis Head has also shown promise, while Marnus Labuschagne is likely to be entitled to another Test at the Gabba in just over two weeks. But Matthew Wade, Joe Burns and Glenn Maxwell all wait in the wings, having all averaged between 49 and 53 in the past two Sheffield Shield seasons. The heat is again firmly on Shaun Marsh, who entered the Indian series as Australia's senior batsman alongside Usman Khawaja. Both failed to average 30. "I don't think it was just those two. I think everyone in our top seven didn't play as well as we would have liked," Paine said. "I thought Marcus Harris and Travis Head, Travis was our leading run-scorer and Marcus showed in most innings that he could make it at this level - we've got some positives there. "The rest of us didn't score enough runs, so to put that on Ussy and Shaun is probably a little bit harsh. "Both of those players we know are absolute class; we know they can score a lot of runs. We have faith in them going forward." Australian Associated Press

Selectors to act fast for Sri Lanka Tests

Trevor Hohns' selectors have less than two days to pick Australia's squad for the Sri Lanka Tests.

Selectors have just two days to mull over the direction of Australia's batting order after the calamitous 2-1 home Test series loss to India.

A squad for the two Tests against Sri Lanka is set to be announced on Wednesday, with the matches being Australia's last red-ball cricket before this winter's Ashes tour.

Australia's batting fell to disappointing lows at home against India, averaging just 25 per wicket and becoming the first team to not have a batsman reach 80 in a series of four Tests or more since 1966.

And the question is, if the batsmen can't handle India's quicks on the docile pitches served up in Melbourne and Sydney, how will they handle the swinging Dukes in England?

"We'll have conversations in the next day or two, I'm sure," Australia's captain Tim Paine said.

"I have faith that the guys we have around the team are the right guys - just have to keep putting some faith and trust in them.

"They are learning on the job a bit, but I think we'll get there."

The make-up of Australia's batsmen for the Sri Lankan series and Ashes is still very much open for debate.

Steve Smith and David Warner still can't come back until the winter, while Marcus Harris is the only player to have truly taken his chance against India to push his claims.

Travis Head has also shown promise, while Marnus Labuschagne is likely to be entitled to another Test at the Gabba in just over two weeks.

But Matthew Wade, Joe Burns and Glenn Maxwell all wait in the wings, having all averaged between 49 and 53 in the past two Sheffield Shield seasons.

The heat is again firmly on Shaun Marsh, who entered the Indian series as Australia's senior batsman alongside Usman Khawaja. Both failed to average 30.

"I don't think it was just those two. I think everyone in our top seven didn't play as well as we would have liked," Paine said.

"I thought Marcus Harris and Travis Head, Travis was our leading run-scorer and Marcus showed in most innings that he could make it at this level - we've got some positives there.

"The rest of us didn't score enough runs, so to put that on Ussy and Shaun is probably a little bit harsh.

"Both of those players we know are absolute class; we know they can score a lot of runs. We have faith in them going forward."